Let’s

Recall
 What is
Communication?
 Literacy Definition
• The ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create
media in a variety of forms. It aims to empower
Media Literacy citizens by providing them with the competencies
(knowledge and skills) necessary to engage with
traditional media and new technologies.

• The ability to recognize when information is needed,

Information and to locate, evaluate, and effectively communicate
Literacy information in its various formats.

• The ability of an individual, either working

independently or with others, to responsibly,
Technology appropriately, and effectively use technological tools.
(Digital) Literacy Using these tools an individual can access, manage,
integrate, evaluate, create and communicate
information.
Media and Information
Literacy
UNESCO defines Media and Information Literacy as “a
set of competencies that empowers citizens to access, retrieve,
understand, evaluate and use, to create as well as share
information and media content in all formats, using various tools,
in a critical, ethical and effective way, in order to participate and
engage in personal, professional and societal activities.” In
simpler terms, it is the ability to effectively and efficiently create,
use, comprehend, and share information through any mediated
communication. The ability to navigate the media is a powerful
and crucial skill.
Being media and information literate
means:
• being able to know where and how to access sources of
information;
• to analyze the meaning and importance of information we come
across;
• to evaluate the value, truthfulness, and credibility of such
information; and
• to create, produce, and share media products knowing fully well
your responsibility to your audience.
With media and information literacy skills, you will have
the power to think through each of these important questions
every time you pick up your phone, publish a Facebook post, or
turn on the TV.
 Key Concepts of
Media and Information
Literacy (MIL)
1. All media messages are constructed.
Messages, as products of media, are created by
sources who deliberately or unconsciously choose the
quality and quantity of content they wish to send or
disseminate – what to include, what to leave out, and
how to portray such information.
a) Who created this media product? What is its
purpose?
b) What assumptions or beliefs do its creators have
that are reflected in the content?
2. Audiences negotiate meaning.

Meanings are truly in people. The meaning of

any media product is not solely formed by the source
or its creators but a collaboration between them and
the audience – which means that the different
audiences may have varied takeaways from the same
content.
3. Media messages have commercial
implications
A lot of the media messages that we consume
every day are funded by advertisements or financed
by businesses. Thus, some of these content are bound
to sell a product or service or make a profit. For
instance, some advertisements come in the guise as
informative articles but are actually luring audiences
to buy their product.
4. Media messages have social and political
implications
The media, as vehicles of information, may
convey ideological messages about values, power, and
authority. The media as the press, being the fourth
estate, also has an explicit capacity of advocacy and
implicit ability to frame social and political issues.
 In consequence, media have great influence on
politics and on forming social change. TV news
coverage and advertising can have a huge influence
on the people’s political decisions, social views, and
cultural perspectives. Representations of world
issues, both in journalism and fiction, can affect how
much attention they receive; and society’s views
towards different groups can be directly influenced
by how – and how often – they appear in media.
5. Each medium has a unique aesthetic form

You must remember that the kind, quality, and

quantity of information that you can communicate is
determined by the media that you use. This includes
the technical, commercial, and creative demands of
each medium.
a) What techniques does the media product use to
get your attention and to communicate its
message?
b) In what ways are the images in the media product
manipulated through various techniques (for
example: lighting, makeup, camera angle, photo
manipulation)?
c) What are the expectations of the genre (for
example: print advertising, TV drama, music
video) towards its subject?
 Benefits of
Media and Information
Literacy (MIL)
1. It teaches you how to verify information
and acknowledge others’ perspectives.
• Is this photo real or edited?
• Did this person really say this statement?
• Is the source of this article credible? Is this post
backed with evidence?
These are the things the MIL teaches you to
ask. Ultimately, it compels you to discern the
credibility of information you come across especially
on the Internet.
2. It encourages audiences to think critically.

With critical thinking, you are able to wisely

use the information you have with you to objectively
form an informed opinion or perspective about a
certain matter or issue. You are also able to discern
whether these information makes sense, what it
contains, and what it lacks.
3. It promotes responsible information
sharing and dissemination.

With the spread of false information

nowadays, MIL encourages you to step back and
evaluate the truthfulness of the things you share in
social media and even those that you speak of to your
friends, relatives, or colleagues.
4. It helps you identify and understand the
media’s role in our culture.
From the billboards to the texts and the videos
that we see around us, media tend to promote our
culture in various ways. MIL makes you conscious of
these influences on your preferences, tastes, choices,
and even lifestyles. This is important for you to be
aware of the extent of media’s influence on your life
so as for you to evaluate whether it has been doing
you good or bad.
5. It teaches you to think and decide
objectively, factually, and reasonably.
MIL reminds us that the messages we
encounter often have more than one side and that it
is our responsibility to explore these other angles.
Knowing all sides of the story will not only keep you
neutral in issues but will also help you stay aware of
texts or images that are meant to deceive its readers
into picking sides, such as fake news or propaganda
messages.
6. It encourages you to actively participate
in public affairs as a citizen.
Media keeps you updated with what’s
happening in current affairs. Have the opportunity to
voice out your opinions, whether literally or in social
media, gives you the ability to actively engage in
public discourse, healthy conversations, where the
views of people may affect the collective opinion of
others regarding a certain issue.
7. It teaches you to create your own
content responsibly.
Media creators aren’t only those who work
under the media industry. In reality, even our
Facebook posts or tweet are already a form of media.
You, in turn, are creating a piece of information that
you’re willing to share, and each post that you share
on social media contains information that you are
responsible for.
8. It makes you better appreciate media
products.
MIL makes you more familiar of how media
messages and productions are created, developed,
improved, packaged, advertised, and disseminated.
Your knowledge on these make you value more the
work and effort poured into making such products.
Moreover, as you view or listen products of art
through media, you are able to appreciate not only its
entertainment value but also its technical aspects.
 Impact
Media and Information
Literacy (MIL)
to society
 Impact of MIL to
Society
Ultimately, MIL would form independent
critical-reflective thinkers and knowledge builders. It
will “empower people to exercise their universal rights
and fundamental freedoms, such as freedom of opinion
and expression, as well as to seek, impart and receive
information, taking advantage of emerging
opportunities in the most effective, inclusive, ethical
and efficient manner for the benefit of all individuals
(UNESCO, 2013).”
 Activity 2: Compare and
Contrast
Directions: Using a Venn Diagram, identify the similarities and
differences between and among media literacy, information literacy,
and technology literacy

Media Information
Literacy Literacy

Technology
Literacy